ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. track — a song
  3. field — a subject
  4. land — to come down
  5. bass — low music
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lean — thin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. land — ground
  15. field — farmland
  16. lean — to bend
  17. land — a country
  18. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com